BAILING OUT MAY NOT BE THE BEST OPTION

During prison outreach, I ask inmates how many would not be alive today if they had not ended up in prison. Usually, over fifty percent raise their hands. For them, prison became a place where they were torn out from the dark places of their lives and now had time to think about the bad choices they had made in life. Consequently, they would hear the Word of God presented to them through music groups such as ours, through small group Bible studies led by local churches, and they had access to the Bible itself. Over the years, I have seen many young people respond to the Gospel message, and leave the prison as new creations. That being said, why are so many parents doing everything they can to bail-out their troubled teens and young adults out of prison? These same people end up on the streets that very same day—which got them into trouble in the first place. What troubles me most is the reality that a good number of young people that were killed or overdosed on the streets were actually bailed-out by their parents just days ago. I know we want our children to have clean criminal records, but is this the final goal? I think most would agree that salvation is what we pray for, far above all else. May God give us wisdom to make the right decisions during difficult times in the lives of our children.

 

By: Yuri Semenyuk